KWCM-TV
KWCM-TV, virtual and VHF digital channel 10, is a Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) member television station licensed to Appleton, Minnesota, United States. The station is owned by the West Central Minnesota Educational TV Corp. KWCM-TV's studios are located on West Schlieman Avenue in Appleton, and its transmitter is located southeast of the city.
 | |
| Appleton, Minnesota United States | |
|---|---|
| Branding | Pioneer PBS |
| Slogan | Proudly Serving (area/town) |
| Channels | Digital: 10 (VHF) Virtual: 10 (PSIP) |
| Translators | See below |
| Affiliations | 10.1: PBS 10.2: Create 10.3: Minnesota Channel 10.4: World 10.5: PBS Kids |
| Owner | West Central Minnesota Educational TV Corp. |
| First air date | January 21, 1966 |
| Call sign meaning | West Central Minnesota |
| Former channel number(s) | Analog: 10 (VHF, 1966–2009) Digital: 31 (UHF, 2009) |
| Former affiliations | NET (via KTCA, 1966–1970) |
| Transmitter power | 50 kW |
| Height | 381 m (1,250 ft) |
| Facility ID | 71549 |
| Transmitter coordinates | 45°10′3″N 96°0′2″W |
| Licensing authority | FCC |
| Public license information | Profile CDBS |
| Website | www |
| Worthington, Minnesota United States | |
|---|---|
| Branding | see KWCM-TV infobox |
| Slogan | see KWCM-TV infobox |
| Channels | Digital: 15 (UHF) Virtual: 20 (PSIP) |
| Affiliations | 20.1 PBS 20.2: Create 20.3: Minnesota Channel 20.4: World 20.5: PBS Kids |
| Owner | West Central Minnesota Educational TV Corp. |
| First air date | February 3, 1997 |
| Call sign meaning | Southern MiNnesota |
| Former channel number(s) | Analog: 20 (UHF, 1997–2009) |
| Transmitter power | 200 kW |
| Height | 290.1 m (952 ft) |
| Facility ID | 71558 |
| Transmitter coordinates | 43°53′52″N 95°56′51″W |
| Licensing authority | FCC |
| Public license information | (satellite of KWCM-TV) Profile (satellite of KWCM-TV) CDBS |
KSMN (virtual channel 20, UHF digital channel 15) in Worthington operates as a full-time satellite of KWCM-TV; this station's transmitter is located near Chandler, Minnesota. KSMN covers areas of southwestern Minnesota that receive a marginal to non-existent over-the-air signal from KWCM, although there is significant overlap between the two stations' contours otherwise. KSMN is a straight simulcast of KWCM; on-air references to KSMN are limited to Federal Communications Commission (FCC)-mandated hourly station identifications during programming. Aside from the transmitter, KSMN does not maintain any physical presence locally in Worthington.
The two stations are collectively branded as Pioneer PBS. Their combined signal can also be received in parts of Iowa, South Dakota and North Dakota. Several other translators carry the signal into other communities.
History
KWCM went on the air for the first time on February 7, 1966. In the early years, it repeated the signal of KTCA-TV in the Twin Cities. It adopted the Pioneer Public Television name in 1982, and added KSMN in 1997.
The station is available on the DirecTV and Dish Network feeds for the Twin Cities and Sioux Falls markets. Appleton is part of the Twin Cities market, while Worthington is in the Sioux Falls market. This gives Pioneer a potential audience of 4.8 million people in Minnesota, Iowa, South Dakota, North Dakota and Wisconsin. As of November 3, 2019, the station became Pioneer PBS due to PBS' overhaul.
KWCM and KSMN's broadcasts are now digital-only, effective June 12, 2009.[1]
Digital channels
The stations' digital signals are multiplexed:
| Channel | Video | Aspect | PSIP short name | Programming |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| xx.1 | 720p | 16:9 | KWCM-HD/KSMN-HD | Main programming / PBS |
| xx.2 | 480i | Create | Create | |
| xx.3 | KWCM-MN/KSMN-MN | Minnesota Channel | ||
| xx.4 | KWCM-WD/KSMN-WD | World | ||
| xx.5 | PTVKids | PBS Kids |
Pioneer-produced shows
Some locally produced shows include Postcards, Prairie Sportsman, Funtime Polka, Your Legislators, Country Spires and programs produced with the University of Minnesota Morris, Prairie Yard and Garden, Academic Challenge, Echoes of Cry of the Marsh and Minnesota Rivers and Fields. Some of these shows have also been shown on the Minnesota Channel, a statewide network originated at KTCI-TV in the Twin Cities which carries local programs on Saturday and Sunday evenings.
Broadcast translators
A network of digital translators in western Minnesota extends the reach of the primary KWCM and KSMN signals.
- K27KN-D 27 Alexandria
- K08QE-D 8 Fergus Falls
- K33OS-D 33 Granite Falls
- K23FP-D 23 Olivia
- K22ND-D 22 Willmar